EPD certification requirements for factories and building materials in Saudi Arabia

I became EPD Certification Requirements for Factories One of the important topics in the building materials and manufacturing sector within Saudi Arabia, especially with the trend of major projects, developers, and consultants to request documented environmental data about products, instead of settling for general phrases like "eco-friendly product" or "low carbon".

This article does not aim to explain the meaning of EPD from scratch, but rather focuses on the practical aspect that the factory needs: What data is required? How is the file prepared? What is the difference between a specific product and a group of products? And what are the mistakes that delay the issuance of the environmental product declaration?

To understand the general concept of environmental declaration and its relationship to life cycle assessment, you can refer to our comprehensive guide on Environmental disclosure of EPD product in Saudi Arabia.

Table of Contents

• What are the EPD certification requirements for factories?
• When does a factory need to issue an EPD certificate?
• What data is required from the factory to prepare an EPD?
• Raw material and supply chain data
• Energy, water, and emission data inside the factory
• Transportation, packaging, and end-of-life data
• Product-Specific EPD or Plant-Specific EPD?
• How do EPDs help in tenders and major projects?
• EPD requirements for building materials in Saudi Arabia
• Mistakes that delay the issuance of EPD certificates for factories
• The role of the consultant in preparing the EPD file
• The role of Albuad Environmental Company in issuing EPDs for factories
• Frequently Asked Questions

What are the EPD certification requirements for factories?

Factory EPD certificate requirements refer to all data, documents, and technical steps needed by the factory before preparing the Environmental Product Declaration. These requirements include production data, raw materials, energy, water, transportation, waste, suppliers, production lines, and consumption allocation rules among products.

Although the term "EPD certificate" is common, the more accurate technical term is Environmental disclosure of the product Or Environmental advertising of the product. It is not a green quality mark, nor does it automatically prove that a product is better than others; rather, it presents quantitative environmental data prepared according to a specific methodology and verified by an independent third party.

Key components of the factory EPD file

• Defining the product or product group included.
• Defining manufacturing locations and production lines.
• Selecting the appropriate Product Category Rules (PCR).
• Defining the declared or functional unit.
• Collecting raw material and component data.
• Collecting energy, water, and fuel data.
• Inventorying waste and refuse and their management methods.
• Aggregating transportation and supply chain data.
• Preparing the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study.
• Preparing the EPD report and disclosure draft.
• Preparing the required evidence for independent verification.
• Registering and publishing the report after review.

When does a factory need to issue an EPD certificate?

Not all factories need to issue an EPD at the exact same moment, but the need becomes clearer when products enter sustainable projects, major tenders, or supply chains that require documented environmental data for products.

Cases that make EPD a priority for the factory

• Entering tenders for major projects or large developers.
• Supplying building materials for projects targeting green building rating systems.
• Consultants requesting data on embodied carbon or the environmental impact of materials.
• The factory's desire to export to markets concerned with life cycle data.
• The presence of competing products with published environmental declarations.
• The need to support the ESG profile or green procurement.
• Management's desire to identify sources of environmental impact within production lines.

It is preferable for the factory not to wait for the final customer's request, because data collection, LCA execution, verification, and registration may take time, especially if the factory's data is unorganized or relies on general estimates.

What data is required from the factory to prepare an EPD?

The quality of an EPD depends on the quality of the primary data provided by the factory. The final document is not merely a report design, but the direct result of collecting and analyzing real data about the product, processes, and supply chains.

Required data typically includes:

• Product data and technical specifications.
• List of raw materials and components.
• Production quantities during a specific reference period.
• Consumption of electricity, fuel, and water.
• Production waste and scrap rates.
• Transportation data from suppliers and to customers.
• Packaging and wrapping components.
• Supplier data and essential components.
• Measurement reports, invoices, or operational records.
• Methods for allocating consumption among various products.

It is important that the data is traceable, supported by invoices, production records, and operational reports, because the independent verification stage does not accept reliance on general figures without sufficient evidence.

Raw material and supply chain data

The EPD study begins with a precise understanding of the product components. Therefore, the factory needs to prepare a clear material list showing the type of each material, its quantity, source, supplier, recycled content percentage if any, and its method of arrival at the factory.

Examples of required raw material data

• Name of each raw material included in the product.
• Ratio or quantity of the material per product unit.
• Country or city of the supplier when data is available.
• Method of transporting the material to the factory.
• Approximate distance from the supplier to the manufacturing site.
• Presence of recycled content or bio-based content.
• Technical data or analysis certificates from the supplier if available.
• Availability of a previous EPD for incoming materials when available.

The clearer the supplier data, the more accurate the LCA results. The absence of supplier data may lead to the use of generic databases, which can affect the quality of the geographical and technological representation of the study.

Energy, water, and emission data inside the factory

Energy, water, and fuel data are among the most important inputs in preparing an EPD, especially in energy-intensive industries such as cement, steel, concrete, ceramics, glass, insulation, and paints.

Required Operational Data

• Electricity consumption during the reference period.
• Source of electricity, such as the grid or solar energy when available.
• Fuel consumption, such as diesel, natural gas, or industrial fuel.
• Water consumption in production, cleaning, and cooling.
• Consumption of compressed air, steam, or heat when available.
• Direct emissions from chimneys or chemical processes.
• Equipment maintenance data affecting consumption.
• Methods for allocating consumption across different production lines or products.

One of the most common challenges is that electricity and water bills are available at the entire factory level, while preparing an EPD requires allocating this data to a specific product or production line. This is where the importance of establishing clear and justified allocation rules comes in.

This work can be linked to the service Carbon footprint calculation to understand emission sources within the factory before or during EPD preparation.

Transportation, packaging, and end-of-life data

An EPD does not always stop at the factory gate. Depending on the product type, PCR rules, and system boundaries, the study may require data on transportation, packaging, installation, use, and end-of-life.

Required Transportation Data

• Means of transport for raw materials to the factory.
• Distances from suppliers to the manufacturing site.
• Means of transport for the final product to the market or project.
• Type of trucks, ships, or trains when data is available.
• Transport loads and fill rates when needed.

Packaging and End-of-Life Data

• Type of packaging materials, such as plastic, cardboard, or wood.
• Packaging weight per product unit.
• Reusability or recyclability of the packaging.
• Disposal or post-use recycling scenarios.
• Installation waste or on-site waste when included.

This data helps build a clearer picture of the product's environmental impact, especially in building products that go through long transport, installation, and use stages.

Product-Specific EPD or Plant-Specific EPD?

One of the important questions for factories is: Do we need a product-specific EPD, or can we issue a declaration covering a group of products or an entire plant? There is no single answer that fits all cases; the choice depends on the degree of product similarity, PCR requirements, the purpose of the declaration, and the customer or project requirements.

How do EPDs help in tenders and major projects?

Having an EPD does not mean the product is automatically accepted in every project, but it increases the factory's readiness when consultants or developers review materials, especially when the tender requires documented environmental data, or when the project operates within a green building or sustainable procurement framework.

How does an EPD support the product file?

• Providing quantitative environmental impact data instead of general statements.
• Helping the consultant calculate embodied carbon in building materials.
• Supporting supplier files in tenders and green procurement.
• Improving developers trust in the manufacturer transparency.
• Demonstrating the manufacturer readiness to handle sustainability requirements.
• Providing a technical basis for product comparison when methodologies align.
• Supporting emission reduction plans and improving resource efficiency.

However, it must be noted that product acceptance in a tender also depends on engineering specifications, price, supply, quality, technical compliance, and other project requirements.

EPD requirements for building materials in Saudi Arabia

Building materials are among the most demanding sectors for issuing EPDs, due to their connection with real estate projects, infrastructure, and green buildings. Priority products include concrete, cement, steel, aluminum, glass, insulation, paints, flooring, ceramics, gypsum, and electromechanical products.

Examples of products that can benefit from an EPD

• Ready-mix concrete and precast concrete.
• Cement, clinker, and cementitious materials.
• Reinforcing steel and metal sections.
• Aluminum, facades, and glass.
• Thermal, waterproofing, and acoustic insulation materials.
• Gypsum boards and false ceilings.
• Tiles, ceramics, and porcelain.
• Paints, coatings, and chemicals.
• PVC and PPR pipes and MEP products.
• Wood products and interior furniture.

In some cases, products may also need health disclosures regarding ingredients, and here it can be linked with the service Setting up HPD When the requirement is related to the transparency of health-related ingredients rather than the environmental life cycle impact.

Mistakes that delay the issuance of EPD certificates for factories

Some EPD projects are delayed not only because of the difficulty of the final report, but also due to poor internal factory readiness before starting. Here are the most prominent mistakes to avoid.

1. Starting the project without precisely defining the product

An accurate study cannot be prepared if the product scope is unclear, or if products differ in composition, weight, and usage and are treated as a single product without technical justification.

2. Choosing an inappropriate PCR

Choosing Product Category Rules that do not apply to the product or the target market may lead to rework or comments during the verification stage.

3. Relying on generic data without evidence

Data must be supported by invoices, production records, purchases, waste, and transport. Estimated figures may not be sufficient during review.

4. Failing to separate product consumption

If the production line produces multiple products, a clear method must be established to allocate energy, water, and material consumption among them.

5. Poor supplier data

The absence of raw material data, distances, or country of origin can weaken the quality of the model and push towards using generic data that is less representative of reality.

6. Confusing the role of the consultant and the independent verifier

The consultant can support the preparation of the LCA and EPD and the preparation of evidence, but verification must be carried out by a qualified independent party according to the program operator requirements.

The role of the consultant in preparing the EPD file

An EPD consultant helps the factory transform fragmented operational data into an organized technical file that can be used in the LCA study and the preparation of the environmental declaration. The role starts with understanding the product and scope, then gap analysis, then preparing data models, and then supporting the study and verification.

The consultant tasks include:

• Determine the product range and the sites covered.
• Reviewing the PCR and the appropriate program operator.
• Analyzing factory data gaps.
• Preparation of data collection forms.
• Reviewing raw materials, energy, and water.
• Organizing transport, packaging, and waste data.
• Support in preparing the Life Cycle Inventory (LCI).
• Supporting or conducting the LCA study according to the scope of the contract.
• Preparing the EPD draft and LCA report.
• Preparing the required evidence for verification.
• Technical coordination with the independent verifier.
• Support closing technical notes.

The role of Albuad Environmental Company in issuing EPDs for factories

Albuad Environmental Company provides advisory support to factories and building material suppliers wishing to prepare the requirements for factory EPD certification professionally, through product study, data organization, gap analysis, LCA support, and preparing the Environmental Product Declaration draft.

Albuad Environmental Company's services in this track

• Evaluating the factory's readiness to prepare an EPD.
• Reviewing priority products for tenders.
• Defining the study scope and system boundaries.
• Reviewing the appropriate PCR rules.
• Designing factory data collection templates.
• Reviewing energy, water, and raw material data.
• Preparing the suppliers and supply chains file.
• Supporting the LCA study and results analysis.
• Preparing the EPD report draft.
• Analyzing hotspots to improve environmental performance.
• Preparing the independent verification file.
• Preparing a plan for future data updates.

The track can be initiated through the service EPD preparation for factories and products, or to contact the Albuad Environmental Company team to assess data readiness before getting started.

Trust and transparency information E-E-A-T

This article is prepared to focus on the practical requirements for issuing EPDs for factories and building materials in Saudi Arabia, without competing with the main article that explains the concept of Environmental Product Declaration in general.

• Experience: The article focuses on realistic challenges inside factories such as raw materials, energy, water, transportation, and allocation data.
• Jurisdiction: The article explains the role of LCA, PCR, and independent verification in preparing the EPD file for factories.
• Reliability: The article does not provide any guarantee of product acceptance in tenders or the issuance of an EPD without independent verification.
• Transparency: The role of the Albuad Environmental Company is technical and advisory support, while verification and registration are carried out through qualified parties and selected program operators.

Frequently Asked Questions about EPD certification requirements for factories

What is the first step to issue an EPD certificate for a factory?

The first step begins by defining the product or product group and the included manufacturing sites, then reviewing the appropriate PCR rules and analyzing the factory's data gaps.

Does the factory need the data of the last 12 months?

Often, a data period representing the actual operation of the factory is relied upon, and a full operational year may be appropriate in many cases, but the final duration depends on the PCR requirements, the program operator, and the scope of the study.

Can an EPD be issued for a product group?

This may be possible if the products are similar and the PCR and program operator allow it, provided that the product scope and the method of representing the results are clarified.

Does an EPD guarantee product acceptance in major projects?

It does not guarantee final acceptance, but it helps raise the product's readiness for technical evaluation when the tender requests documented environmental data on the product life cycle.

What is the difference between EPD and LCA?

LCA is the computational study that measures environmental impacts, while EPD is the published report or declaration that presents the study results after verification and registration.

Can the factory prepare an EPD internally?

The factory can participate strongly in data collection, but preparing the LCA and EPD requires technical expertise in PCR rules, program operators, and verification requirements.

What is the most common reason delaying the issuance of an EPD?

The most common reasons are the lack of factory data readiness, poor supplier records, unclear product scope, or choosing an inappropriate PCR.

How does Albuad Environmental Company help in issuing an EPD?

Albuad Environmental Company helps in assessing readiness, organizing data, reviewing PCR, supporting LCA, preparing the EPD draft, and preparing the required evidence for independent verification and registration.

Conclusion

A successful EPD issuance does not start with writing the report, but with accurately preparing the factory's requirements: the product, raw materials, energy, water, transportation, waste, supplier data, and study boundaries.

The more organized and traceable the factory data is, the clearer the preparation of LCA and EPD becomes, and the lower the chances of delays during verification or registration.

Contact the Albuad Environmental Company to assess your factory's readiness for EPD issuance, learn about the required data, and determine the appropriate technical path before entering tenders and major projects.